Ivory Classics - Simply the BEST piano recordings

The label of The Ivory Classics Foundation

IVORY CLASSICS Foundation

The Ivory Classics Foundation is a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, §501(c)(3) organization established in 1998 to promote, through charitable and benevolent activities, and appreciation for the art of the piano through its work with the premier audiophile piano label - Ivory Classics.

The Foundation is committed to its goal by promoting education, research, performance, recording, preservation, archiving, and publishing of music for the piano. The strategic emphasis of the Ivory Classics Foundation's focus is to encourage the creative efforts of artists, engineers, scholars, and educators in channeling their work into the broader society, thereby increasing an awareness of keyboard repertoire.

In tandem, the recording focus of this effort for Ivory Classics is directed towards musical notables of preeminent distinction spanning all of the Twentieth Century and well into the Twenty-first. We impart particular attention to pianists whose careers have been neglected, and hence improperly dealt with by recording companies. Regrettably as a result of this indifference and omission, these artists have been overlooked by the musically aware and all but forgotten by the culturally initiated public at large.

Ivory Classics is dedicated to the preservation of these musical treasures. We plan to restore the public's accessibility to important piano recordings by transferring historic recorded materials into state-of-the-art digital medium in the form of 20-bit and 24-bit 96Khz High Definition Compact Discs. We recognize that this undertaking is of immense cultural significance and will therefore pursue projects predicated on artistic merit.

Michael Rolland Davis founded Ivory Classics in 1997. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Ivory Classics, is a natural outgrowth of Mr. Davis' lifelong passion for music. Having studied the cello from the age of ten, he then turned to collecting rare vintage recordings, and managing artists' careers, Mr. Davis has also enjoyed a recording legacy as a consultant and an independent record producer for well over two decades. His love of the piano, in combination with his broad knowledge of the recording industry was the impetus for the creation of Ivory Classics.

Ivory Classics is devoted to "The Art of the Piano," as well as "The Art of the Pianist." It focuses exclusively on compositions for the keyboard with major emphasis on talented performers. Mr. Davis states: "I am determined to release only quality performances at Ivory Classics. Many great talents, in the past as well as today, have been unjustly overlooked by the major recording labels. A lot of record companies artificially manufacture careers by over-promoting their artists with large marketing budgets and hyped publicity. At Ivory Classics, we believe great artists are born, not manufactured. I created Ivory Classics in the hopes of correcting a few of the inadequacies that I found lurking in the classical record business. We want our many customers to know that they can trust all of Ivory Classics releases and can expect interesting and superior performances as well.

Additionally beyond releasing only stellar performances of piano repertoire we go an extra few steps in distinguishing ourselves from other record labels. All of our recordings have been mastered (using the 20-bit technology for the first five years) and since 2003 everything is recorded or mastered with 24-bit 96KHz. state-of-the-art technology. Our first forty CD releases utilized the exceptional HDCD encoding process which helped achieve a superior quality sound. We now use the excellent pow-r system for all our recordings. We also go to great lengths to produce a visually appealing package. Our liner notes are very detailed and replete with many rare images. We go an extra step and print thematically relevant graphics on the CD face and on the inside of the back traycard - behind the CD. Our goal is to standout in every way as a jewel of a record company -- no detail is too trivial. We wish to be known as: "Simply the BEST piano recordings."

At Ivory Classics, the premier audiophile piano label, we are committed to furthering our goals of presenting recording excellence by archiving, preserving, and promoting historically significant recordings of exceptional pianists.

The so-called crisis in the music industry has very little to do with the talented musicians or even the music loving buyers. It is essentially a self-created problem - record labels saturating the marketplace with the same repertoire in "me too" or indifferent performances. Some companies have created an escape hatch from this by developing the category of "cross-over". However, even there they are saturating the record bins with, for example, tango recordings. It is my humble opinion that quality still accounts for something - if you are a record label that produces excellent performances with the highest sound and production values, along with arresting visual presentations - the public will support you.

At Ivory Classics we have our own clearly articulated style of recording presentation. We have long term goals with specific pre-selected repertoire and coveted performances planned into the next decade. Our commitment to excellence keeps us in tune and abreast of the technical advancements in the industry. We have charted our course of action with belief that we can produce better and more interesting recordings than any other pianophile label. We have our own standard of performance to achieve. With the help of our excellent recording engineer, Ed Thompson, who has worked closely with me for the last eighteen years, we produce a quality product.

All contributions to The Ivory Classics Foundation are fully tax deductible and are gratefully acknowledged in writing. Please ask your employer about matching contributions. Please click here for information on how to contribute to The Ivory Classics Foundation.